At a March 3 press conference at the ECHO Center in Burlington, Sen. Patrick Leahy expressed concern about the Trump administration's proposed funding cuts to many federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

Leahy, vice-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, estimated that the President's proposed $54 billion increase in military spending would require a 13-percent reduction for all other federal agencies. Julie Moore, Secretary of Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources, told the audience that approximately one-third of her agency's funding comes from federal sources.

Both Leahy and Moore, along with Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, warned that the loss of funding could drastically affect Vermont's efforts to assure clean water and protect Lake Champlain from pollution, and could impede municipal green infrastructure development.

GMWEA encourages its members to keep track of news that potentially affects water quality professionals and their ability to serve their communities. This page will be periodically updated as developments warrant.